My latest fascination has been with ribbon folding – inspired by kanzashi methods. This weekend is my first studio tour for ARTrails in two years — so I am busy finishing up details on these flower bases I’ve created with different ribbons.

My gallery piece this year is a bridal headpiece called “Blossom”. With my background in ballet costuming, bead weaving and mixed media – I have elements of lace, ribbon, crystals, beads and tulle to create this unique headpiece. It’s base color is white with accents of gold and pink.

Wow, time flies by!! This last year was filled with tons of growth, transitions, and opportunities!! So now that the dust is settling I am happy to announce some exciting news — I’m going to be teaching sewing at a beautiful new (old) facility in my hometown! I will have to share over time how this wonderful series of events culminated into me becoming an instructor 🙂

The newly formed School of the Arts in downtown Centralia, WA is scheduled to open classes end of this month!! Check it out here: SOTA campus. I have formed a wonderful partnership with another local talented lady and together we plan to share the amazingness that is sewing to all ages from 7 to adult. We are part of an amazing staff of creatives that hope to share the beauty of the arts with our community!

This is an opportunity I never had in my childhood and I’m thrilled my kids get to experience this wonderful place! Their ballet school also moved into the facility and is the resident dance school for SOTA! Check it out here: Centralia Ballet Academy. The transformation inside the building has been fun to follow!

I am looking forward to the grand opening and hearing the hallways, classrooms, studios and theater filled with the sounds of learning … about the arts! Come visit and see for yourself! Don’t forget to say hi!! -Melinda

I’ve had so much fun playing with Tim Holtz Distress Inks lately! The following cards were created using a craft sheet and water. So first pick your colors and smoosh them onto the craft sheet (or something that resists water) then spray with water to activate. Place your paper (I use watercolor 90lb the most) and wiggle it gently – lift up.

The first layer is usually a nice blend of the colors – I then dry the paper with my heat gun. From there, look for areas that need some contrast or color and tap that section down on to some beaded ink. Dry with heat gun. At this point you might want to smoosh a bit more color and spray – just repeat the process until you are happy with your results!

Once my pieces were in a happy place, I looked for elements that resembled objects. Two pieces reminded me of trees so I stamped tree images in those areas and blended them out. One reminded me of water – so I felt the man with umbrella would work … just have fun with it!

Quick little crochet project! A button flower with super fine yarn and size E crochet hook. Find a button that has holes big enough for your hook to go through and crochet through each hole with single crochet.

Foundation row – I did a 4 chain between each hole until complete circle around button.

Second row – chain 3, single crochet in the double triple strand, chain 3, chain one in the chain one space between “petals” and repeat sequence with remaining petals. Chain one.

Last row – single, double, triple, double, single in 3 chain space, single in the previous single space, single, double, triple, double, single in the next 3 chain space …. repeat all the way around. Finish off with slip stitch.

Hello! Back again after a fun weekend of ballet auditions! Congrats to all the talented young dancers that made Ballet Northwest’s company!! (Stephanie, Erin, Jacob, Elina) It was Elina’s first audition and she really enjoyed the entire process! Now the agonizing wait until Friday for roles!!

So part of my weekend included working a test piece of silk for my South Wind girls’ skirt. The skirt needs to be soft and flowy with a nice drape to it and Nancy wanted an ombre effect going from pink to gray. A wonderful silk painter (and acting coach), Stacy Ridgley, helped me get started!! Thank you Stacy!!

I worked with a silk double chiffon and Setasilk in Ebony and Raspberry. Steps to follow:

wet the silk and place in area for painting

shake the paint!!

apply either as drops directly from bottle or use a paintbrush

so my first attempt was directly from bottle: it was too intense for my skirt

second attempt: I used a paintbrush and had a little more control. I also added water to spots of color and it really helped “push” the blending down into the white areas.

For years I have designed a little tree for our hospital’s Festival of Trees and it is one of the few volunteer activities I still love to do! The festival is now called the WinterGala and I am designing another little tree. My theme this year is inspired by Scandinavian aesthetics and it’s a mix of mainly Swedish and Norwegian. I always strive to handcraft at least one element of my tree and this year I have a few: Nisse and Heart paper baskets.

I’m working on my little nisse right now! Although I really prefer to crochet, the size of my project looks best knitted so I have dusted off my knitting needles and turned my house upside down looking for the book on how to bind off! Sooo simple yet I always forget 🙂

I’m using Loops & Threads Woolike Super Fine in Red, Clover Bamboo Circular Knitting Needles No. 1 (2.25mm), and a little wooden spool. Very simple cast on of 25 stitches and then plain old Stockinette stitch (knit, purl, knit, purl …. ). I have some other colors to add in when I start on the hats!

“In October of 2014, Ballet Theatre of Washington will debut two new ballets: The Princess Who Couldn’t Dance & Peter and The Wolf. Both of the productions will be presented in one show that will be perfect for the family.” This is a direct quote from the website: http://www.balletwashington.org/performances

Ok, time for some introductions! Today you will meet characters (from my sketchbook): Elements

South Wind: Pink one-shouldered leo with attached silk chiffon skirt (soon to be hand painted by yours truly!) and White poet’s shirt with gray tights. (This is a pair dancing)

Sea Waves: White leos with an attached neckline representing sea foam (still working this out) and “water” leos used last year in Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

On my inspiration board I have the creek’s tutu panels (along with a court lady bodice). Since the fabric frays easily I have decided to edge them and give them a slight wavy finish. I do one “set” of 8 panels at a sitting and then move on to other work so I don’t go cross-eyed! I’ll try to figure out how to capture video on this edging for anyone interested.

My inspiration and work board

That’s it for this post! Now it’s time for me to get busy!! Enjoy your day!